I'm Falling For Cleo
by PoodleWoodle1992
Summary: A hair metal rockstar moves to a metropolis called Iron City and quickly falls in love with Clifford's friend, Cleo. He then plans to form a rock band with his new friends. Clifford and the gang are now anthropomorphic dogs. I don't own anything. R&R!
1. Moving To A New City

Disclaimer: I do not own anything. All trademarks are copyright of their respective owners.

Chapter 1: Moving To A New City

Sixteen-year-old Dustin LaRocque had been packing his bags for a while. He was going to move to Iron City, Ohio, and he would spend the remainder of his high school years there.  
"All this packing makes me hungry," he said. "Good thing some of my friends will be moving to Iron City as well." He called to his mom. "Mom! Can you come upstairs and help me for a sec?"

"Don't mind if I do." Dustin's mom walked into the bedroom and placed a suitcase onto the bed. Dustin's stomach growled as his mom unzipped the suitcase to check if there were enough clothes in there. "It's about time your father were dressed," she added. Dustin looked down the hall and found his dad looking at himself in the mirror.  
"He seems pretty excited today," Dustin said. He went downstairs and helped himself to a handful of rice cakes.

Two hours later, the moving van arrived at the LaRocques' old two-family foursquare home. A "For Sale" sign had already been put up for the left half of the house. All three cars--- Mr. LaRocque's 1999 Toyota Camry, his wife's 2005 Ford Focus, and Dustin's 1988 Nissan Pulsar NX--- were crammed with suitcases, valuables, and memorabilia in the back seats. The furniture was loaded up in the moving van.

The LaRocque family and the moving van drove a lot of miles from their old town, Belleview, Tennessee, to the lively metropolis, Iron City. When they got there, Dustin was surprised.  
"The people are animals! Were they born like this?" he asked himself.

A group of four friends noticed the three cars and the moving van stop in front of the LaRocques' new single-family Craftsman bungalow house on Kerrick St. Two burly-looking guys got out of the moving van.  
"Man, this makes me sweat all over my body," the African-American guy said. "Can you still handle it, bro?"  
"Yeah. I've been working out for a few years." The other guy turned out to be a calico cat. "Let's fill this place up!" The two guys carried the living room couch into the house.  
"Hey Clifford, I hope that guy with the long, dark brown hair can go to the same high school as us," Eugene "T-Bone" Reynolds told his three friends.  
"It's pretty darn cool to have a new sixteen-year-old on the block," Clifford Howard replied.  
"I agree with Clifford," Mac Migliori said.  
"That guy looks so handsome," Cleo Farley said with a smile. "I wonder if he plays guitar?"  
Dustin carried his guitar case and effects into the house while his mom had the amp and the distortion pedals.  
"Hey Dustin," Mrs. LaRocque told her son, "I just wanna tell you that you'll be going to Kilgour High School, which is two miles away from here."  
"I hope I get a really good education and make lots of friends," Dustin said excitingly.  
"Don't you worry, sweetie. Kilgour High has been rated the #1 high school in Faxon County." Dustin's mom kissed him on the cheek.

Dustin's new bedroom was larger than his room in Belleview. There was enough space for a chest of drawers, a bedside table, a few rock band posters, his bed, his guitar, his keyboard, his TV, his Xbox 360 Elite, his PS3, his Wii, his Nintendo DS, his computer, his school supplies, his PSP, his iPhone, his iPod, his video games, his books and magazines, his drawings, and his memorabilia, including toys he had played with when he was little.  
"I am SO ready to spend life in Iron City! Yahoo!" Dustin whooped.  
The fun continues in the next chapter.


	2. School Days

Disclaimer: I do not own anything. All trademarks are copyright of their respective owners.

Chapter 2: School Days

It was the beginning of Dustin's sophomore year at Kilgour High School. This was his schedule:

Homeroom/1st Period: Trigonometry with Mr. Bundy  
2nd Period: Language Arts with Ms. McBride  
3rd Period: PE with Coach Longairc  
Lunch  
4th Period: Biology with Mrs. Delaney  
5th Period: Social Studies with Mr. Widstrand  
6th Period: German with Ms. Eberhardt  
7th Period: Band with Mr. Dunn

School started at 9 a.m. After the morning show on the first day of school, Mr. Bundy welcomed everyone and the class had a discussion about sines and cosines, which were pretty easy for Dustin to comprehend. In second period, Ms. McBride let the students do a fun activity by writing down facts about themselves and presenting them to the class. In third period PE, Coach Longairc gave a few tips on exercise and fitness.  
"We gotta work together and get strong. Look, we're gonna have fun. It just takes hard work. Practice makes perfect, but perfect isn't always easy."  
The sophomore students ran two laps around the school track. Dustin, who concentrated the whole time, was the fastest runner. After he finished, he didn't need to breathe heavily. Cleo Farley, the purple poodle who came in second, patted Dustin on the back. "Congratulations, dude! I'm Cleo Farley."  
"Dustin LaRocque," Dustin replied.

Lunch was delicious. Dustin had a slice of pepperoni pizza, two chocolate chip cookies, potato chips, and a Mountain Dew.

Mrs. Delaney was a cordial woman. She told the students that for the next few days in biology, they would be dissecting frogs. Dustin and Cleo thought this was very funny.  
"Talk about guts!" Dustin snickered.  
"Yeah! If they were alive, they would throw the heck up!" Cleo couldn't stop laughing. She thought of the frog's throat inflating.  
Fifth period had a loud teacher, Mr. Widstrand, who grew up in Naperville, Illinois. The class was chattering about their new friends.  
"_Tenth grade sophomores! Widstrand speaking, you're listening!" _Mr. Widstrand croaked. "Bellwork. Two simple questions from the textbook. Don't start chit-chatting."  
Minutes later, the class had kept their notebooks open so that they could check bellwork with the ELMO projector. "Okay, let's do the Today In History." Mr. Widstrand used the mini remote and changed the screen on the ELMO.  
"Who would like to read 1991?" he asked. The class raised their hands. "Alice, go ahead."  
Alice King, a timid girl with daily mood swings, spoke. "Disney's Beauty and the Beast hits theaters."  
"Copy that whole thing," Mr. Widstrand said. Then he talked about the movie itself and how it took place in 18th century France. He also gave info about the characters.  
There were a few more events for the day. After that, the class did their WACE (World Atlas Of Current Events) with CNN Student News with the notorious anchorman Carl Azuz.

Well, everyone said "_Guten tag"_ to sixth period. The tenth graders learned basic and essential German words and phrases.  
"Who can tell me 'right' and 'left'?" Ms. Eberhardt, who was of German descent, asked.  
"_Rechts, links,_" Dustin said the German words with the correct pronunciation.  
"_Danke._"  
Band, the last class of the day, seemed to be fun like German. Mr. Dunn, the band director, wore a pair of glasses and a Kilgour High School shirt with the school colors: purple, teal, and gold.  
"Ssssssshhhhhhh. OK! Excuse me," Mr. Dunn said. The students fell silent. The class went on and the students sightread a few pieces. Dustin played French horn; Cleo played bassoon; T-Bone did percussion; Alice King played flute; and Mac played tenor sax. There were 70 other members in the band room.

School let out at 3 p.m. Cleo gave Dustin her phone number: 555-1179.  
"Call me when you have some free time. We don't have any homework, you know." Cleo said thoughtfully.  
"Nice meeting you!" Dustin said as he and Cleo high fived. Cleo gave one last smile showing her pearly whites. She had gotten her braces off a few years ago. She walked toward her black 1997 Škoda Felicia (the only one in the United States), got in, started it up, put it in gear, said goodbye, and drove off.  
Dustin pictured Cleo and himself sitting on a hill underneath a full moon.  
"She looks... sexy," he told himself.


	3. First Date

Disclaimer: I do not own anything. All trademarks are copyright of their respective owners.

Chapter 3: First Date

For the rest of the week, Dustin dreamed about making love with Cleo and playing and laughing. He told his parents and friends all about it.  
"Awwwww, that's so romantic!" they had said.  
Today was Saturday, and Dustin was going to ask Cleo out. "Mom? Dad? Do you mind if I call Cleo and ask her out somewhere?" Dustin asked his parents.  
"Sure. That's a thoughtful favor," Mrs. LaRocque said.  
"Maybe you two could go out for ice cream or lunch together," her husband suggested.  
"I guess Cleo needs to let her parents know," Dustin said.

Dustin went upstairs to his bedroom, took his iPhone, and dialed Cleo's number. He waited ten seconds before Cleo answered.  
"Hello?"  
"Hi, it's Dustin," Dustin said, "What's up?"  
"I'm feeling excited today. And you?"  
"Good. I just wanted to ask you out on a date."  
Cleo gasped. "You LIKE me!"  
"Should we go shopping?"  
"Great idea, Dustin."  
"I should walk over to your house and meet your family first. Is that OK?"  
"Yep."  
"I'll call you after I get out of the house."  
"No problem. See ya."  
"Okay. Bye." Dustin touched the "End" button on the iPhone. He took that and his iPod and went downstairs. He told his parents that he was going over to Cleo's.  
"See you later, bud!" his dad said with a smile.  
"Bye, sweetheart!" his mom chuckled as she hugged him.

Dustin remembered to call Cleo as soon as he got out of the house, so he did. This time, Cleo answered the phone in two seconds.  
"Hey Dustin. You out of the house yet?"  
"Yeah. What's your address?"  
"4759 Locust Avenue. If you're on Kerrick Street at your Craftsman bungalow house, take a right onto the sidewalk. Go down to Herlin Street and take a left. Turn right onto Walters Drive and then a left onto Locust."  
Dustin was very capable of walking a few blocks and looking both ways before crossing the street. When he got to Locust Avenue and took a left, he checked the house numbers to see where Cleo lived. Half of the houses were single-family, and half of them were two-family houses.  
"4749... 4751... 4753... 4755... 4757..." The next house was not very adjacent to the previous house. Dustin saw a mailbox with brass numbers: 4759. He was hoping it would be a big house.  
And indeed it was. It was a magnificent Victorian mansion with a pattern of triangular trim on the roof, and there was a tower with an angular mansard roof. Dustin then walked along the long front path. He held the brass crown knocker and knocked five times on the front door. Cleo answered the door in no time.  
"Hey!!!" the two greeted in unison.  
"Come in and meet my family!" Cleo told Dustin.  
Dustin could hear talking in the living room.  
"COME ON! BREAK HIS LEG!" He could tell it was Mr. Farley watching football.  
Cleo and Dustin jogged into the living room. Everyone said hi.  
"Dustin!" Mr. Farley chuckled. "Goin' out on a date, huh? Here, dig into some snacks." There were paper plates, silverware, and bags of potato chips, Cheetos, Smartfood popcorn, Funyuns, Ruffles chips, pretzels, and more.  
"Hi there, honeybunch." Mrs. Farley, a slightly overweight woman, was wearing a black sleeveless shirt and had a barbed wire tattoo on her upper right arm. "My daughter talked so much about how---"  
"RIP HIS FREAKIN' FACE OFF! COME ON, YOU SCAB PIECE OF FILTH!" Mr. Farley screamed as a player for his favorite football team raced toward the goal. The team had then scored a touchdown. "YES! Woo-hoo! We're winning 25-11!" he cheered. He high fived Cleo's brother, Tanner, who was a year older than she was. He appeared as a blue dog with long hair, and he had the same snout.  
"Cleo talked so much about how popular you're getting at school!" Mrs. Farley said happily.  
"What's up? I'm Tanner," Tanner said as he and Dustin shook hands. "Nice meeting you, man."  
"Same to you," Dustin replied. "By the way, we're leaving. Let's go, Cleo." Cleo and Dustin said goodbye to everyone, walked out the front door, and went towards the driveway to Cleo's black Škoda Felicia. They got in as soon as Cleo unlocked the doors with the car remote.  
"Oh, gosh. The seats are so comfortable," Dustin said as he stroked the passenger seat. "Wait till you see how this car handles the streets," Cleo laughed. She pushed the clutch pedal down all the way and inserted the keys into the ignition and turned it all the way to the right to start the car. She put down the e-brake and put the car in reverse. The car revved as it slowly pulled out of the driveway. Cleo put the car in first gear and stepped on the gas.

Cleo drove at top speed while shifting gears. The car hugged almost every sharp corner. The heavy metal station was playing on the radio, and the music was blaring through the speakers.  
Dustin and Cleo arrived at the shopping mall and were looking for a place to park in the garage. They eventually found one and went into the main entrance. They bought a few things, including new clothes and new video games. They had lunch at the food court.

After the shopping trip, they went to the Frozen Dreams ice cream parlor. Dustin had a double waffle cone with mint chocolate chip and cookies and cream ice cream, and Cleo had cotton candy ice cream in a regular waffle cone.  
"You look kinda like me," Cleo said thoughtfully. "Especially because of your face."  
Cleo was right. Dustin's nose was a little bit long.  
"What shall we do next?" Dustin asked Cleo. He felt very comfortable with her. Whenever he would fall, Cleo would catch his arm and help him up.


	4. Forming The Band

Disclaimer: I do not own anything (except for Dustin). All trademarks are copyright of their respective owners.

Chapter 4: Forming The Band

It was a cool October afternoon. Dustin had been raking leaves in his front yard. He put the rake down, ran, and jumped into the pile of leaves.  
"What a beautiful day!" he exclaimed.  
Dustin was wearing a crimson sweatshirt and blue jeans. In the house, his mother was baking triple chocolate brownies with white chocolate chips inside. His father was playing poker with a next-door neighbor, Mr. Billings.  
"Dad gummit!" Mr. Billings said. "I don't know why I have to fold every single time."  
"Woo-hoo! Gimme all your chips!" Mr. LaRocque cheered. The flop, turn card, and river card had already been placed on the green poker table.  
"That's the second time you've won a poker game," his wife stated.

The chilly October wind continued to blow, and Dustin pirouetted with outstretched arms. He couldn't believe how cold the weather in Iron City was compared to Belleview. Suddenly, a voice shouted:  
"Dustin!"  
Then a whistle. Dustin turned around. It turned out to be Cleo, along with her other friends: Clifford, T-Bone, Mac, Tanner (Cleo's brother), and T-Bone's girlfriend, Misty Naskiewicz. She was a brown spaniel who was very flamboyant about her clothes and her style. T-Bone usually called her Mimi. A decent nickname.  
"Hey, compadres!" Dustin said as he high fived his friends.  
Mimi introduced herself to Dustin. "I'm Misty, but you can call me Mimi." They shook hands. "My name's Dustin LaRocque," Dustin replied. Mimi took out a picture of herself out of her jeans pocket and showed it to everyone. In the picture, Mimi was wagging her tail and wearing a black sweatshirt and blue skinny jeans. She lay on her back on the front porch in the winter. The soles of her bare feet were almost in the camera. All the animal people had human-shaped feet.  
"Why are you barefoot on the front porch in this picture when it's snowing?" Mac asked. He looked perplexed.  
"I just thought it would be a cute picture, that's all," Mimi said. She put the picture back in her pocket. A few minutes later, the front door opened and Mrs. LaRocque stood on the threshold. "Guys! Time for brownies!" Everyone ran into the house and each took two brownies.  
"These are KILLER!" Tanner said with a huge grin on his face.  
"I love the chocolate icing you put on there, Mrs. LaRocque," Cleo said.  
"Why, thank you," Mrs. LaRocque replied. "And you must be Cleo... I don't think I know your last name..."  
"Farley," Cleo finished. "I'll have to ask my dad if I was a distant relative of Chris Farley, even though he died. He was hilarious, especially in _Tommy Boy._"

Later, Dustin had a wonderful idea. Trust me, it was. He would buy Cleo a bass guitar.  
He took his wallet, got into his Nissan, and drove to the Planet Music. Inside were lots of musical instruments: guitars, drum sets, cymbals, basses, pianos, keyboards, organs, trumpets, French horns, clarinets, saxophones, tubas, trombones, oboes, English horns, bassoons, flutes, piccolos, euphoniums, sousaphones, violins, violas, cellos, double basses, percussion, banjos, mandolins, effects, pedals, you name it.  
Dustin looked for effects first. He found a good flanger, an awesome talk box, and a few other effects. Then he looked in the bass section. There were basses by Fender, Ibanez, Epiphone, Rickenbacker...  
Dustin suddenly found a gleaming black and white Fender five-string bass guitar with flames painted on it. Dustin took it off the hanger and hooked it up on one of the amps.  
"I wonder what this bass will sound like--- either as boring and quiet as The Grateful Dead, or as punchy and breathtaking as Rush," Dustin told himself. Then he rested the fingers of his right hand on the strings. He plucked a string which gave him goosebumps. He plucked some more, and he was laughing with joy. He started playing the bass solo in "Freewill." It sounded exactly like Geddy Lee's bass. Then he tried slap bass and it was excellent. He took the bass and the effects up to the register. The cashier looked muscular and had his hair tied back in a ponytail.  
"That'll be $409.59," he said. Dustin took out his American Express Gold Card, swiped it in the slot, and entered his PIN. The receipt had been printed. The cashier gave it to Dustin, then the change. He was given $10.42 back. He couldn't wait to form his own rock band.

After Dustin wrapped the bass in a parcel, he drove over to Cleo's. He knocked on the front door. It turned out to be Tanner.  
"Hi, Tanner," Dustin said. "Is Cleo here? I got a present for her. She'll be thrilled."  
"She's upstairs in her room," Tanner pointed toward the house's tower. "It's in the tower."  
Concentration. Yep. Dustin had that feeling. Excitement. Like when you're coming up to the stage to perform. Dustin went up the spiral staircase and walked down the hallway and found a door: _Cleo's Room: Enter At Your Own Risk.  
_Dustin knocked on the door.  
"Come in!" Cleo called. Dustin walked into the bedroom and found Cleo playing Global Rally Championship on her PS3. "Hi, Dustin." She turned around and gasped at the package Dustin was holding. "Is that for ME?!" she asked excitingly. Her tail was wagging like crazy. She read the sticker on the parcel. "To Cleo from Dustin. I can't wait to see what this is!" She took a penknife from the toolbox and slid it through the slot to open the box. She rummaged through the styrofoam peanuts to find something covered in paper and Saranwrap. She tore the Saranwrap and the paper open and became motionless. She had found out what her gift was: the bass guitar she had wanted since she was eight years old. She screamed really loud, then she hugged Dustin. "Ohhhh... hold me closely..." she told him lovingly. Cleo then took a deep breath. Ah, romance. It never gets old. Cleo jumped around and went on squealing with delight as she hugged her new bass guitar.

For the next few days, Cleo had been practicing her bass. She even slapped the strings with her thumb to create the legendary sound of the slap bass. There were also a wah effect and a talk box, which she knew how to use. To use a talk box, you put this tube that's connected to the device into your mouth, put it on a bass or guitar, hook it up on an amp, and shape your mouth as you're strumming or plucking. The following Friday, Cleo got a call from Dustin.  
"Hello?" she answered.  
"Guess what?"  
"What is it, Dustin?"  
"Would you like to be in my rock band?"  
"HECK YEAH!!!"  
"Awesome."

The next day at 10:00 a.m., Dustin, Clifford, Cleo, Mac, T-Bone, Mimi, and Tanner all felt a chill down their spines as they stood against a brick wall shoulder to shoulder. "Okay, gang, listen up," Dustin told his friends. "At this moment, you will be the members of my rock band. I, Dustin LaRocque, will be on lead guitar." He started picking the members.  
"On the other guitars: Clifford Howard, Tanner Farley, and Mimi Naskiewicz."  
Clifford, Tanner, and Mimi cheered.  
"On drums and percussion: T-Bone Reynolds."  
"That's what I'm talkin' about!" T-Bone said happily.  
"On bass and lead vocals: Cleo Farley."  
"YAY! Hee hee hee!" Cleo laughed. "HA HA HA HA HA HA HA! I knew my dream would come true!"  
"By the way, you have a pretty voice for any song we play."  
"Thank you!"  
"And last but not least..."  
Silence.  
"On keyboards: Mac Migliori."  
"Glad you got me in the band, dude!" Mac rejoiced. He simultaneously gave Dustin a handshake and a brief hug with two taps on the back.  
This was not only going to be the best band in the neighborhood and the school, but also the best band in Iron City.

The next chapter contains my most romantic and dramatic part of the story.


	5. Kisses And Rock N' Roll

Disclaimer: I do not own anything. All trademarks are copyright of their respective owners. WARNING: Mild sexual content.

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Chapter 5: Kisses and Rock N' Roll

So far, the band had written songs such as "False Friends," "Elements Of Design," "Hold Tight For The Ride," and many others. They actually recorded them and submitted them to a few radio stations so that they could be played. Everyone was very pleased. Speaking of the instruments, Dustin had a customized B.C. Rich KKV guitar with a Floyd Rose licensed tremolo system, Cleo had the Fender bass, Clifford had a Gibson Les Paul with the original cherry sunburst finish, T-Bone had a Tama drum set with Zildjian cymbals, Mimi had a red Gibson SG, Tanner had a Rising Sun Gibson Explorer, and Mac had two synthesizers: one by Yamaha, and the other by Korg. The gang also had a black Steinway grand piano and an extra Alesis synthesizer that could be used by any member. The name of the band was Frost Moonlight.

One evening, the band had a sleepover at the Farley residence. They had played video games such as Global Rally Championship, Halo 3, Call Of Duty Modern Warfare 2, Guitar Hero, and more. They had played board games, watched TV, told jokes, shared humorous stories, surfed the Internet, and listened to music. They had dinner at an Italian restaurant, then they went back to Cleo's. There was a neat surprise: Cleo made mouthwatering root beer floats for everyone. They LOVED them.

Dustin, Cleo, Clifford, T-Bone, Mac, Mimi, and Tanner went to bed at different times. You know they could stay up as late as they wanted. Cleo shared her bedroom with Dustin, so they went to bed together. They said goodnight to everyone, went upstairs, down the hallway, up another staircase to the tower, and walked to Cleo's room. Everything was tidied up for a good reason. They took their shoes and socks off, brushed their teeth, washed their faces, and put on new T-shirts to sleep in. Dustin climbed into the bed, and something made it perfect: it was the softest bed he had ever been in. Cleo climbed in bed beside him and cuddled with him.

Dustin then decided to have a little fun with Cleo. "Cleo?" he asked her.  
"Yes?"  
"Let's have...uh...let's have..."  
"Come on, say it. It won't be bad." Cleo did her best to make Dustin happy all the time.  
Dustin was sweating and breathing quickly.  
"Let's have sex," he blurted out.  
"Awwwwwwwwwwwwww..." Cleo felt like she would spend the rest of her life with him. "I want you," she added. She pulled herself out from under the covers. Dustin lifted his shirt up to reveal his belly, and Cleo put her bare feet on it. It felt a little bit cold. She then started to wiggle the five toes on one foot, then the other five on the other. Dustin was laughing when Cleo kept on wiggling ten toes on his belly, then to his chest.  
"You really shouldn't put your feet on my face," Dustin warned her. "Otherwise I'd wash my face AGAIN and spit the foot sweat and sock lint out of my mouth."  
"Don't fret, Dustin," Cleo giggled. "Talk to the tail." Her fuzzy tail was already wagging, then it stopped to rest itself on Dustin's belly. It started wagging again to tickle him.  
"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! That tickles! Hee hee hee!" Dustin was howling with laughter. After that, he returned the favor by tickling Cleo's feet. She cracked up like heck. For the last part, Cleo put her soft, furry, and bare human-shaped feet on Dustin's crotch.  
"No, no, please don't..." Dustin began.  
If you were outside Cleo's door a few minutes later, you could hear them saying, "That feels good!" Or you could hear them laughing. Then, you would hear Cleo enjoying it even more.  
"Yes! Yes! Yes! YES! YES! YES!"  
Then Dustin felt one teensy-weensy thing. Cleo, comfortable with him, had kissed him on the cheek.  
"You're my favorite rockstar," she added. "There's one more thing I wanna say."  
A slight pause.  
"I'll love you till the end of time!"  
Cleo sighed.  
"Kiss me," Dustin whispered.  
Cleo chuckled.  
"Kiss me," Dustin said again.  
This was the most romantic moment they had so far. Dustin remembered the name of one of The Cure's albums.  
"Kiss me, kiss me, kiss me!"  
Dustin and Cleo then moved their heads closer together, with Cleo's nose rubbing against his forehead. They put their lips together...  
And they kissed...  
They kissed...  
They kept on kissing and cuddling for a few minutes.  
With the crescent moon and the twinkling stars shining on the triangular windows, both Cleo and her sweetheart slowly went back under the covers and slept through the night.

At 7 a.m., the golden sun rose like a god. Everyone stretched as they got out of bed. At 8 a.m., the last person to wake up was Clifford. The team went downstairs and sat down to a breakfast of eggs, bacon, buttered white toast, orange juice, and English breakfast tea. Half of them were dressed, and half of them were still in their pajamas and slippers.  
"Mmmm. Who cooked this?" Mac asked.  
"My mom did," Cleo replied. "She started when she was sixteen."  
"Well, my mom specializes in Italian cuisine. She's appeared on Food Network before."  
"Dustin, I forgot to tell you something," Clifford said. "I graduated from the University Of Cincinnati last month."  
Dustin raised an eyebrow. "No way," he chuckled.

After everyone went back home, Mac was watching funny YouTube videos on his computer in his room, such as B+ In English, the kid singing Britney Spears' "Baby One More Time" and getting scared by his mom, a woman accidentally throwing a plate at the camera when everyone else throws stuff out of a bin, a guy called "Nic" getting duct taped, and a guy playing the electric shock prank with a broken light switch (the other guy freaks out and shoves his banana into the laughing guy's face). Mac was already gasping for air after laughing his head off.  
"Machiavelli!" Mrs. Migliori called in a singsong voice from downstairs. "I have a surprise for you!"  
"It had better be wonderful," Mac said. He ran downstairs and into the kitchen. His mother handed him an envelope that said:

Machiavelli F. Migliori  
7281 N. Potts Ave.  
Iron City, OH 12345

Mac opened it. Inside was a mint green strip of paper which turned out to be a letter or an invitation.

Hi there, fellow musicians!  
As a member of Frost Moonlight (our band), you've been cordially invited to our fall concert! It'll be on Friday, November 4th from 2-4 p.m. at the Faxon County Fair. Starting this Sunday, we will be rehearsing every day at 4-5:30 p.m. at our very own recording studio across from Maple Vista Mall. Hope to see you there!

Sincerely,  
Dustin LaRocque

"I am SO doing this!" Mac yelled. "Wait! There's something else..." To his surprise, he found his very own ticket to the fair. It said:  
_Friday, November 4, 20. Free armband. Games and rides all day. Free food and beverages. Valid only this day.  
_"Gotta go! Bye!" Mac ran out the right front door of his two-family house, hopped into his Plymouth Sundance Duster, and drove to Dustin's. Dustin was already practicing his guitar skills for the concert when Mac rang the doorbell. Dustin answered the door a few seconds later.  
"Mac! Thanks for comin' over, man!"  
"And thank YOU for dreaming up an awesome time for our very first concert!"  
Dustin really couldn't wait for the big day. "What would a concert be without a freakin' audience? Nothing!" Mac and Dustin laughed at the obvious joke.  
Life went on, and everyone was happy.


	6. Recording!

(Disclaimer: I hereby do not, in any way, shape, or form, own anything. All trademarks, characters, names, brands, franchises, products, logos, and locations are registered trademarks and copyright of their respective owners. I understand that any form of copyright infringement is strictly prohibited.)

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Chapter 6: Recording!

It was Friday afternoon on October 28th, and all the seventh period students in the school's band room were eagerly waiting for the last bell. They had learned so much since school had started back in September. Mr. Dunn walked onto the podium. "Let's run 'Maple Breeze' and then we'll pack up," he told the class. "Maple Breeze" was a wind ensemble piece in the key of C that featured chord progressions, some solo parts, and two tempos. After the last note of the composition, Mr. Dunn said quickly, "Don't move." His baton was still parallel to the floor and facing the students.  
"You guys did a superb job today. Don't forget about the Kilgour Krazy Kostume Kontest on Monday. I hope you have a wonderful weekend. Thank you," he finished. He put the baton down.  
The class put their instruments back in their cases. Dustin had no problem putting his French horn on the middle shelf in the cabinet. He chattered with the others about the weekend, the following week, and the concert on Friday. Mac pulled out his ticket to show everyone. "Friday, November 4, 20... What the heck?" he said. He took a black pen out of his shorts pocket and wrote the rest of the year on the ticket to make sure it was valid and it said "Friday, November 4, 2011."  
"That should do it," Mac said.  
"You don't want to miss out on our day at the fair," Cleo replied with a laugh.  
Suddenly, the last bell rang, and the students rushed out of the band room. The team of fellow protagonists walked down the hall, turned right, went downstairs, and turned right again towards the entrance.  
"Alright, guys," Dustin said. Five heads turned toward him. "It is imperative that you arrive at the recording studio _no later_ than 4 p.m. I hope you have time to get everything you need. See ya!"  
"Bye, Dustin!" his friends chorused.  
"You know, Dustin," Alice King said after she walked up to Dustin, "this is better than Belleview." She had been a friend of his before he moved to Iron City.  
"I agree," Dustin thoughtfully replied.

Cleo was obviously the first one to arrive at the studio after Dustin because she was his girlfriend. She had covered her bass guitar case with many stickers of cool designs and rock bands, including the Ace of Spades, the Vans Warped Tour, and "I'm a hard rockin' poodle!" Clifford was the next one to arrive, and he was laughing.  
"Today's 'Zits' strip just made my day. Jeremy has a five-page paper on Louis XIV due the next day, and his mother calls him and Hector 'lazy goldbricks', which makes them jump up from the couch with Pringles potato chips flying out of the long tube. Then Phoebe's head replaces a wall lamp and says, "Go to Dirty Bootleg Paper online. You can illegally download an essay and be done in four minutes.'"  
When all the others arrived, it was only a few minutes to 4 p.m. Everyone set up their instruments and plugged them into the amps, which had been set up before. The room was windowless. Dustin had a few effect pedals with him. With any method of counting off before every song, they played some of their songs, although there were some slight mistakes. For instance, Mac sneezed while singing backup vocals during the chorus of "False Friends." Also, while Mimi Naskiewicz was head-banging to her rhythm guitar riff of "Ghost Of Madness," her sneakers accidentally slipped, which made her mess up. Luckily, she didn't fall. The rehearsal went very well for everyone, perhaps because there was a full sound system in the sound room. Wayne Golden, an orange and white dog with a nose like a pencil point, was the sound operator. He was a junior at Kilgour High School.  
"Sounds so rad, guys!" he said through the window that divided the sound and recording rooms. "I call that an A+!"  
"Thanks for the compliment!" Clifford replied.

The following morning, Dustin and his parents sat down to breakfast at the kitchen table. His father was watching the news from a small TV on the counter while drinking his coffee, and his mother started a conversation.  
"How are your eggs, Dustin?" she asked.  
"Delicious as can be, Mom," Dustin replied.  
"I can't believe you currently have straight A's in school."  
"Thanks."  
"No problems or anything?"  
"Not really. Did you hear about what's happening at school on Monday?"  
"Tell me," Mrs. LaRocque said with a smile.  
"The Kilgour Krazy Kostume Kontest. It's when the students, teachers, and faculty dress up in Halloween costumes. Then we all go into the gymnasium, where a stage is set up, and sit on the bleachers and wait until our names get called. The teachers show their costumes off first, then all the students do it. They can do any cool movement as well."  
"That sounds like fun."  
"Say, are you in the mood to go shopping for Halloween costumes?"  
Mrs. LaRocque's eyes popped as big as tea cakes. "Oh my gosh. I have coupons for the Halloween superstore." She turned to her husband. "Dan?" she said.  
"Yeah?"  
"Dustin and I are going shopping. Want to come with?"  
"No," Mr. LaRocque said. "I've got an 11-7 shift."  
Dustin's mother kissed her husband and left the house with Dustin. They took the Ford Focus and drove to the store, which was a few miles down the highway.

The store was huge, with spiderwebs all over the walls and ceilings, skeletons swaying side to side on hangers, glowing jack-o-lanterns, many costumes to choose from, and happy customers. Little kids were running around, and a year old skunk boy was walking towards the door to the restrooms. The door then opened automatically, only to reveal a hanging skeleton with long, straight black hair and blood red eyes, and it emitted a loud, high-pitched scream. The little skunk boy squealed and ran away, bursting into tears. After looking at all the teen costumes, Dustin decided that he would be what he really was: an 80's hair metal guitarist. His mother decided to be a singing fat Valkyrie lady, complete with a breastplate, a pair of brown boots, a Viking helmet, a shield, and a sceptre. They also bought about six loads of candy of every size, from Tootsie Rolls and Starburst to Hershey Bars and Super Blow Pops, to complex sweets such as Juicy Drop Pops, Lollipop Paint Shop, and Pucker Powder, which they had filled fifty large tubes of at the dispenser. They had enough money to pay, and everything felt fine.  
"You know what they say," Dustin told his mother. "When you go and buy something, use your eyes, not your ears."

The next day at the studio, Wayne did the usual sound check for the band. Tanner, being the most strong-willed Afghan hound that he always was, decided to go shirtless for rehearsal.  
"Woooooooo!" Cleo hooted.  
"You have some hot abs there, Tanner!" Mimi said.  
Dustin gave the thumbs up to Wayne. "Recording," Wayne said.  
The group decided to play some of their other songs, including "Hold Tight For The Ride", "Good Old High School", and their cover of "Message Of Love" by The Pretenders. Some of the members, especially Cleo, were sweating bullets. Luckily, they hydrated themselves with bottled water.  
Later, T-Bone thought of a hilarious plan: he would find a safety pin and poke one of Mac's nipples.  
"Okay, Mac. Take your shirt off," he said. Mac obeyed him. T-Bone tried to hold back his laughter. He took the safety pin out of his pocket.  
"You wouldn't dare!" Mac said. He felt a sharp prick on his nipple from the safety pin. He quickly jolted and fell out of the chair he was sitting in. "Holy s***. That hurt."

For Halloween Monday, Clifford would be Napoleon Dynamite; T-Bone would be a gangsta rapper; Mac would be a drum major; Cleo would be a SWAT officer, complete with a helmet, a toy machine gun, handcuffs, a walkie-talkie, and a pair of black boots; Tanner would be a surfer; and Mimi would be a French maid.


	7. Halloween

(Disclaimer: I hereby do not, in any way, shape, or form, own anything. All trademarks, characters, names, brands, franchises, products, logos, and locations are registered trademarks and copyright to their respective owners. I understand that any form of copyright infringement is strictly prohibited.)

Read and review!

Chapter 7: Halloween

Monday arrived with a chilly breeze. Mrs. LaRocque, dressed in her Viking costume, creeped into her son's bedroom. It was 7:00 in the morning. She inhaled as much air as her lungs could store, and a deafening, high, and sustained opera note ensued. Dustin's window cracked, and he woke up with a jolt.  
"Man, that was loud," he said. "I wish it were still the weekend and I could sleep in. But today's Halloween, and I gotta put on my costume!"  
It took fifteen minutes to put on the whole costume. Then Dustin went downstairs and sat down to a breakfast of jack-o-lantern pancakes, bacon, and grits at the kitchen table.  
"I've got the awakening all on camcorder so I can send it to _America's Funniest Home Videos_," Mr. LaRocque stated. His wife grinned.

Minutes later, Mac pulled up in front of the LaRocque house in the Plymouth Sundance Duster to pick up Dustin on the way to school. He called him on his cell phone.  
"Hello?" Dustin answered.  
"Hey man," Mac said. "I'm in front of your house."  
Dustin grabbed his backpack, walked out the front door, and got into the car. Mac put it in gear, made a U-turn, and started driving.  
"You know," Mac began, "I'm really glad how successful this band is coming. My girlfriend, Siobhan Hornseth, is interested in becoming a new member of Frost Moonlight. She's a keyboardist. What do you think about that?"  
"I haven't really met her yet," Dustin said.  
"You'll get along with her very well, that's for sure." Mac turned right at the next intersection. "Have you heard from Cleo recently?"  
"Oh, sure. She told me that her parents can't go to the fair to see the concert because they gotta work during the afternoon."  
"That's alright," Mac said.  
"She still tells me I'm hot and she wants my sex, and I want her to stay that way. For a long time, it's gonna be horny puppy love!"  
Mac guffawed. "Have you kissed her?"  
Dustin took a deep breath. "Oh, yes. The other night we spent at her house was one of the happiest nights of my entire life. Cleo and I went up to her bedroom, had a good amount of foreplay and sex, cuddled under the covers, and kissed like movie stars. Her lips tasted like watermelon candy."  
"I could hear the voices from the upstairs hallway. What was all the laughing in the beginning?"  
"Cleo wagged her tail on my belly, and I tickled her bare feet."  
"She sure looks cute with you," Mac said as he took a left onto Quigley Parkway. A guy in a gold Toyota quickly swerved right in front of them to get in the next lane, so Mac honked his car horn. "Idiots," he muttered. He turned right onto Kilgour Lane, the same street that the school was on. When he got to the parking lot entrance, he almost blocked a red 1992 Mazda Miata driven by Mr. Schoos, the school's assistant band director. Mac backed up a bit, let Mr. Schoos drive into the parking lot, and followed him to two empty parking spots. Mac and Dustin grabbed their backpacks from the back seat of the car.  
"Mac! Dusty!" Mr. Schoos exclaimed as he got out of the Miata. "Glad to see you guys."  
"I gotta go to the band room before school to get my costume," Mac told him.  
"No problem," Mr. Schoos said. "Dustin, I _love_ the 80's fashion on you. It reminds me of Isaac Netzer, except he's more new wave." Isaac Netzer was one of the band students who played the alto sax. He was a brown dog with a snout like Cleo's, and he sported an 80's blonde bouffant mullet, Duran Duran style.

Inside, the high school students laughed and showed off their crazy Halloween costumes. When the bell rang, everyone had to go to the gymnasium, which could hold thousands of people. It was a complete madhouse. After twenty minutes of getting the whole school into the gym, Principal Gilchrist, a Dalmatian with auburn hair, walked onto the stage and tapped her microphone.  
"Check, check, testing, one, two, three." The conversations in the gym gradually faded.  
"I'd like to welcome you all to our Kilgour Krazy Kostume Kontest, which is held every Halloween. We've started this tradition ever since the school was built in 1905, and it has improved during that 106-year period. This is how we do it." Principal Gilchrist cleared her throat. "Every row of students, one at a time, will line up backstage. Each of you will go onto the stage and show off your costume as best as you can. Be patient; you'll all have a turn. Then you will walk back to the bleachers. There are ten placements for the judging. Here's Vice Principal Toshima."  
A tiger in a tuxedo walked over to Principal Gilchrist and took the mic. "Ladies and gentlemen, in case you didn't know, I am Vice Principal Toshima. I have enjoyed this fantastic tradition ever since I started my job here in September of the year 2000." Vice Principal Toshima gestured around the whole gym. "During this day that we spend in here, I want all students to not only have fun, but also to show Kilgour Knight pride, okay? Thank you."  
Applause ensued. Principal Gilchrist took the mic.  
"Okay," she said, "it seems that you all understand the procedures for our own Kilgour Krazy Kostume Kontest. As you know, after the first half of the ceremony, we'll have our lunch break, then we'll go back to the gym and finish the other half before school lets out. Row A1 may line up. My Kilgour Knights, go ahead, have fun, and talk all you want!"

A DJ started playing some music, and every sound rang in the huge gymnasium. Dustin the 80's rockstar and Cleo the SWAT officer sat next to each other, holding hands. Dustin stroked the short, soft fur on Cleo's fingers. Principal Gilchrist called row by row.  
Among the costumes the students showed off were an astronaut, a medical technician, a tulip, a box of McDonald's French fries, a biker gang leader, Michael Jackson, Scream, a guy with a chainsaw and a fencing mask, and many more. When T-Bone the gangsta rapper went onto the stage, he rapped the chorus to "My Name Is" by Eminem. Many students and teachers killed themselves laughing. When Mimi the French maid went up, she blew a kiss and emitted a smooth "_Bonjour_." When Tanner the surfer went up, everyone oohed and aahed at his surfing position, his brown flip-flops, and his chest and abs showing through his unbuttoned short-sleeved collared shirt. When Mac the drum major went up, he faced the audience and clapped his hands.  
"**BAND! ATTEN-HUT!**" he screamed at the top of his lungs.  
"**_K! H! S!_**" Every band student snapped to attention.  
"Just kidding," Mac laughed. "At ease." He then did his own drum major salute, which stunned the school.  
Siobhan Hornseth, a grey mouse with a snout like Cleo's and Mac's girlfriend, was next. She was dressed as the Terminator. "Hasta la vista, baby," she said. Then she grabbed her laser tag gun and shot a laser. "Ahl be bahk."

At noon the lunch bell rang, and the students rushed towards the cafeteria and the courtyard. After going through the lunch line, Dustin, Cleo, T-Bone, Mac, and Tanner sat at a table with Mimi, Siobhan, Isaac, and K.C. Young, who had all packed their lunches.  
K.C. was a dog who had lost his left arm in a car accident (similar to Rick Allen of Def Leppard) five years ago, so he had a left prosthetic arm. He spoke in a Southern accent since he was born and raised in Austin, Texas. K.C. stood for Kevin Christopher.  
"K.C, what's up, man?" Tanner said as he sat down next to K.C.  
"Not much," K.C. replied. "Just enjoyin' the day and hangin' out with y'all."  
Alice King sat across from Frank Lopez, a blue-green chihuahua who was her boyfriend. Alice wasn't going to eat her tots, so Frank asked if he could have them.  
"Go for it," Alice said.  
Frank grabbed a handful of tots and started eating them instead of putting them in his pocket like Napoleon Dynamite.  
Dustin repeatedly puffed into his bag of Lays potato chips, which made Isaac laugh so hard he slobbered Mountain Dew out of his nose. Everyone at the table roared. Dustin was becoming the school clown.

Forty-five minutes later, the bell rang to signal the end of lunch. The herd of high schoolers and faculty entered the gym and sat back down on the bleachers. The west side of the gym had already showed off their costumes, so Principal Gilchrist called row H1 to line up. Many more costumes wowed the audience, and there were two hours and fifteen minutes left before school let out. Peg Staunton, a Lhasa Apso and a HUGE tomboy, strutted in a secret agent's tuxedo. She shot her toy handgun and said, "The name's Staunton. Peg Staunton."  
Isaac was just wearing his regular clothes when he went on. "Let's say I'm just Simon Le Bon, that's all," he said nonchalantly, shrugging his shoulders.  
Time flew by, and Cleo was the second to last contestant. The lights turned off, and Cleo ran out onto the stage with what looked like a flashlight, but it was actually her machine gun. Her badge shined in the darkness. The lights stayed off. Dustin was the last one.  
"We have our last contestant!" Principal Gilchrist said.  
Dustin plugged his guitar into the amp set up for him. As he played an A major chord with the distortion pedal, the spotlights turned towards him. First he did a rhythm guitar riff, then he did a short classic rock solo with finger vibratoes, then he went to 70's funk wah-wahs, then he did a long 80's guitar solo using the Floyd Rose whammy bar and the EVH (Eddie Van Halen) tremolo pedal. He shredded, tapped, did some picking, bending, and sweeping with the whammy bar, slide-tapped, and did very cool effects at the end of the 80's solo. He shook the whammy bar up and down as he dived and then climbed, held the following note while tapping the whammy bar, and played a low E flat on the first string. He pushed the whammy bar down all the way on that note until it was barely audible, then he slowly released it. Just after that, he did the famous "Satch Scream" effect in which he adjusted the switch and did some dive bombs. Dustin did the Tom Morello scratching effect, a talk box and synth-guitar solo that influenced Peter Frampton and Edgar Winter, and got to the last part of his performance: thrash metal!  
He played the whammy bar intro from "Madhouse" by Anthrax, lightning-fast guitar riffs, and wildly chaotic, wailing solos that influenced mainly Kerry King of Slayer and Dimebag Darrell of Pantera. These solos involved shredding, dive bombs, and shaking effects on the whammy bar. For the final note, Dustin played a very high note and did a Slayer-esque shaking dive bomb. Everyone loudly applauded.

"Students," Principal Gilchrist announced, "the judging will now begin. You all did very well. Tenth place goes to Mimi Naskiewicz!"  
"Ninth place goes to Mac Migliori!"  
"Eighth place goes to Luna Phillips!"  
"Seventh place goes to Hunter Burnett!"  
"Sixth place goes to Isaac Netzer!"  
"Fifth place goes to T-Bone Reynolds!"  
"Fourth place goes to Peg Staunton!"  
"Third place goes to Cleo Farley!"  
"Second place goes to Tanner Farley!"  
"And last but not least..."  
"C'mon, pick me, pick me, pick me..." voices whispered.  
"First place..."  
Dead silence.  
"...goes to..."  
Many students gasped.  
"Dustin LaRocque!" Principal Gilchrist yelled with a huge smile.  
Suddenly everyone stood up, cheered, and went nuts like you wouldn't believe. The top ten contestants went to the stage to receive their medals. The judges put the medals around each person's neck.  
It was 3 p.m, and Principal Gilchrist finally said, "I hope you have a happy Halloween!" The last bell rang and the school left the gym.

"Where do you think we should trick-or-treat tonight?" Mimi asked Dustin.  
"Maybe around a few neighborhoods, including mine," Dustin replied. "My next-door neighbors, the Phillips and the Billings, are very friendly and positive people."  
"Do you know if Cleo's house has a party?" Isaac asked as he fixed his hair.  
"Nope. Not yet," Dustin said.  
Peg Staunton ran up to him. "Dude, can I have your autograph on my guitar? I'll be your roadie for your band."  
"Don't mind if I do." Dustin took the black Jackson guitar, which had a tremolo bar like Dustin's, signed in red Sharpie, and gave it back to Peg. She gave Dustin a firm handshake, just like Mr. Schoos.  
"I love you, man," she said with a huge grin. "You're like a GOD to me." She looked up "Dustin LaRocque" in the school directory book and found his address.  
"Kerrick Street? I know where that is. Come on!" She took Dustin past the fountain to her car, a navy 1995 Subaru Impreza two-door coupe. Both of them got in. The car's interior smelled like cocoa butter.  
"I know your girlfriend, Cleo," Peg said. She started the car, put the stickshift in first gear, and drove off. She looked in her rear-view mirror and pushed her bangs over her left eye. "Does she play in your band?" she asked as she shifted to second gear.  
"Yep," Dustin said. "She's been playing the bass for nine years."  
"Cool!" Peg said. "So Dustin, what if you wanted to play 'Higher Ground' by the Red Hot Chili Peppers? Everyone would just be blown away by Cleo's slap and pop technique."  
"I've seen her YouTube video uploaded yesterday. She did a bass cover of that song, and thousands of people made that video a favorite. All 'cause she's a poodle!"  
Dustin could tell that Peg LOVED heavy metal. She was the lead guitarist for her band, Incubus Spindle. She had even did a cover of "Cliffs Of Dover," an instrumental by Eric Johnson, and during the chorus, for every four sixteenth notes, she bended up with the whammy bar.  
When they reached Dustin's house, Peg rummaged through her backpack, took out a candy necklace, and put it around Dustin's neck.  
"To Iron City's guitar god," she said. "Wait! Before you leave, can I see your guitar for a sec?"  
Dustin unzipped his guitar case. Peg nearly fainted when she saw the guitar.  
"Oh my f***ing god! This is so unreal! Rosewood fingerboard, Floyd Rose double locking tremolo bar, red poker dice volume and tone control knobs, a Van Halen tremolo pedal..." She kissed the guitar and gave it back to Dustin.  
"I'll see you tomorrow at the recording studio!" she called from the car as Dustin walked toward the house.

By nightfall, Dustin grabbed a huge trash bag when the doorbell rang. He opened the front door and the storm door and found Clifford, Cleo, T-Bone, Mac, Tanner, Mimi, Siobhan, Alice, and Isaac. "Hey!" they chorused in a singsong way.  
"You ready to spook the night away?" Siobhan asked.  
"Let's scare people out of their minds!" Clifford said. "We didn't wanna start trick-or-treating without you."  
"Well, what are we waiting for?" Cleo asked. "Let's go!"  
The clan went to many different houses, even two-family houses, which were more crowded because one person from each unit would simultaneously pass out candy. There were even some houses with pranks. For example, there was a guy dressed as a scarecrow sitting on the front porch with a bowl of candy. Cleo walked up the front steps, and the scarecrow quickly stood up with the bowl and said something that sounded like, "Wear my hat!" Cleo hollered and ended up on the floor, her tail quivering. She then laughed her feet off.  
The Farley residence was covered with Halloween decorations, and the candy they served included huge flashing candy pinwheels, Lollipop Paint Shop, king-sized candy bars, and full-pack Air Heads with special flavors. Music blasted out of the speakers inside the house, and teens were dancing, laughing, eating candy, and having barrels of fun. A random guy in a fencing mask chased the gang on the way out of the front yard.  
When Dustin got home, a pile of candy about as big as Mount McKinley lay on the bedroom floor. That was a wild night to remember.


	8. Sometimes There's Something Wrong

(Disclaimer: I hereby do not, in any way, shape, or form, own anything. All trademarks, characters, names, brands, franchises, products, logos, and locations are registered trademarks and copyright to their respective owners. I understand that any form of copyright infringement is strictly prohibited.)

Since the beginning of 2011, this is the most dramatic chapter of the story. Read and review!

Chapter 8: Sometimes There's Something Wrong

On the afternoon of November 3rd, everyone had gotten their report cards. There was no school tomorrow because it was the students' day at the fair. That was a good thing because they would possibly see Frost Moonlight live in concert. While Cleo and Dustin walked toward the front door of the school, a random husky kid played a cruel prank. He snatched Cleo's iPhone from her pocket and raised it up as if he were going to smash it onto the floor.  
"DON'T YOU BREAK-" Cleo began.  
The kid hurled the phone toward the floor, but luckily, Ms. Cifuentes, the art teacher, caught it, gave it to Cleo, and grabbed the kid by the ear.  
"A very valuable and broken device could change your life," she said to Cleo. "Good thing that didn't happen to you." Ms. Cifuentes shoved the kid against the wall. Lockers were still slamming.  
"You listen. I don't take grudges, straight F's, and disrespect, you understand? What if someone did that to you? How would you feel? You've received detention for two months because what you just did was malicious, frightening, and..." Her words faded as Dustin and Cleo walked outside.  
"Yeah, there can be pickpockets in a city like this occasionally," Dustin said. They saw Tanner playing an acoustic guitar and singing "Walking After You" by the Foo Fighters. He waved at them as he finished playing. It had rained recently, so a crimson BMW drove through a puddle on the curb. Dustin stepped back.  
"Get back!" he shouted.  
Unfortunately, Cleo got soaked. Her clothes and tail were dripping and her hair went down, heavy metal style. Drops of water went down Cleo's dark grey t-shirt from her hair, which was touching her shoulders. Cleo shook her head to bring her hair back to normal. "Well, I need to get home," she said. She accidentally dropped the car remote. The panic button must have been pressed when it hit the ground because the black Skoda's alarm went off, and Cleo uttered a small squeal and jumped back. It was the kind that made all the different sounds: high note, low note, high note, low note; siren; short drops; longer drops; whistle slide-up, whistle slide-up; _buzz buzz buzz buzz buzz buzz buzz buzz_. Cleo pressed the car remote again to stop the alarm and unlock the car. There was a sad look on her face as she got in. Dustin got into the red Nissan Pulsar NX, which was parked behind Cleo's car, started it up, turned on the pop-up headlights to see through the mist, and followed Cleo to her house. As he pulled into the driveway, he saw Cleo running towards the front door. He put up the e-brake, cut the engine, got out, and caught up with her.  
"What's wrong, Cleo?" Dustin asked.  
"This day has been wasted," Cleo said angrily. "Totally f***ing wasted. A prankster almost broke my phone, a car washed me up as it drove through a puddle, and my car alarm went off_. Stupid stupid stupid!_"

Dustin followed Cleo upstairs to her bedroom. After he went through the door, Cleo kicked the door shut with her sneaker. They both sat down on the bed.  
"I've never had such a horrible afternoon like this," Cleo said. "I'm SICK of it."  
"Calm down, Cleo," Dustin said. "I don't think-"  
"Don't tell me to calm down!" Cleo seethed. "I want this concert to be successful, and I don't want to be a laughing stock."  
"You won't be, I promise," Dustin said calmly.  
"Then why did that kid try to break my phone on purpose?" Cleo asked.  
"He's just a complete idiot."  
"Look, Dustin," Cleo said, touching Dustin's face. "I love you, but there are problems sometimes. Today was worse, OK? Much worse." Dustin felt comfortable with the feeling of Cleo's warm hands.  
"Does it matter anymore?" he asked.  
"Hell yes." Cleo felt a trickle of sweat run down her snout.  
"You're not the only person at Kilgour High School that overreacts," Dustin said.  
"YES I AM!" Cleo shouted. "IT'S ALL 'CAUSE OF PRICELESS REACTIONS TO PRANKS!"  
"I've never been having _any_ problems at school, and I know it!"  
"GO AHEAD AND SAY IT! YOU WANT ME TO LEAVE YOU FOR CLIFFORD OR MAC?"  
"No!" Dustin yelled. "I would never say that, you hot-tempered poodle!"  
"THEN PROVE IT!" Tears streamed down Cleo's cheeks. _God help us,_ Dustin thought. He felt kind of downcast, too, but he wasn't a crier like Cleo.  
"I prove it _all the time!_" Dustin said as soon as he could get a word in edgewise.  
"D-didn't you love me ever since we first met?" Cleo sobbed.  
Dustin sighed. "Yes."  
Cleo wiped away a tear. "Do not EVER lie to me. I'm very serious about this."  
"I'm being as honest as possible, Cleo," Dustin said. He touched Cleo's bosom. "Let's manage your anger."  
"**_NO! _**I DON'T WANNA TALK ABOUT IT!" Rivers of tears gushed out of Cleo's eyes. "I FEEL LIKE I WANNA PUNCH THAT KID'S NOSE!"  
"It's okay, Cleo," Dustin said. He knew Cleo was at her breaking point.  
And Cleo had lost it. She dropped to her knees and started bawling at the top of her lungs. She buried her face in Dustin's chest while Dustin patted her back. They leaned on each other.  
Minutes later, Cleo had stopped crying. She took her shoes and socks off and wiggled her toes.


	9. Anticipation

(Disclaimer: I hereby do not, in any way, shape, or form, own anything. All trademarks, characters, names, brands, franchises, products, logos, and locations are registered trademarks and copyright to their respective owners. I understand that any form of copyright infringement is strictly prohibited.)

This is the shortest chapter. Read and review!

Chapter 9: Anticipation

The dress rehearsal for the concert was on the same afternoon that Cleo had yelled at Dustin and cried her eyes out. It was still misting.  
"MAN, that mist felt good!" Mimi said as she went inside the recording studio.  
The band rehearsed for a good two hours, then they entertained themselves by doing a parody of the _Saturday Night Live_ "More Cowbell" skit.

"Dustin," Cleo said that evening, "I'm really sorry that we had a huge argument."  
"I forgive you," Dustin said. "Too bad we didn't make up earlier."  
"Yeah, I just wanted to let my sadness come out. You know what, let's change the subject. I really can't wait for tomorrow's concert at the fair."  
"We _all_ are excited, Cleo," Dustin said, grinning. "We can do this!" They both hugged each other.


	10. This Is It

(Disclaimer: I hereby do not, in any way, shape, or form, own anything except for Frost Moonlight's song lyrics. All trademarks, characters, names, brands, franchises, products, logos, songs, and locations are registered trademarks and the sole property of their respective owners. I understand that any form of copyright infringement is strictly prohibited.)

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Chapter 10: This Is It

Today was Friday, November 4th, 2011. Students had the day off from school for the Faxon County Fair, which was even larger than the Ohio State Fair. Clifford, Cleo, Dustin, T-Bone, Mac, Tanner, Mimi, and Siobhan quickly got dressed at home and then met at Waffle House for breakfast. Right after that, they all drove on the Interstate east to the fair, which was on a huge field just outside the Iron City limits. Besides Dustin's red 1988 Nissan Pulsar NX; Cleo's black 1997 Škoda Felicia (which had a turbodiesel engine); and Mac's purple 1992 Plymouth Sundance Duster, Clifford's car was a silver 2002 Jeep Grand Cherokee; T-Bone's car was a beige 2005 Chevy Cobalt sedan; Tanner's car was a teal 1993 Hyundai Scoupe; Mimi's car was a dark blue 2000 Chevy S-10 pickup; and Siobhan's car was a gun metal 1998 Kia Sephia.

When they arrived at the fairgrounds, the entrance was gridlocked with heavy traffic, so it took a while for them to park their cars. They all grabbed their instruments. En route to the main gate, they saw Wayne Golden, who was getting out of his dark green 1995 Audi A4 sedan.  
"Right on time, guys," he said. He grunted as he lifted a medium-sized Line 6 amp.  
The gang presented their tickets at the booth, got their wristbands, went through the turnstiles, and posed for a group photo. The camera flashed.  
"Our largest group at the fair today!" the photographer said. "Keep that smile on!"  
The exhibition hall was very similar to the convention center in downtown Iron City. There were knickknacks, pendants, china, belts, and other collectibles for sale, and there were musical instruments, cars on display, and cooking shows.  
"The cooking shows smell like my house's kitchen," Mac said.

The midway was flooded with rides, funhouses, games, food and beverage stands, and people having the time of their lives.  
"Let's go on the Mindbender," Cleo said.  
"I LOVE THAT RIDE!" Dustin said.  
"So do I," Mac said.  
The Mindbender was a ride in which you sat in a contraption with three other people and it went counterclockwise. They rode other rides, including a Ferris wheel, the House of Horrors (one of those trains that go into the ride and it's like a haunted house), the Kamikaze Thrasher (a fast rollercoaster), the Sizzler, go-karts, the Starship 4000, and much more. Their favorite funhouse was the one in which their own band was its theme, and it was the longest one. The gang had lunch at noon, but then they had to be backstage in the auditorium by 1 p.m.  
They had taken their instruments over there before. They got set up, rehearsed a couple songs (including covers), tested the amps, sound board, and microphones, and chit-chatted until the time came.

It was 2 p.m. The band walked onto the stage with their instruments. Thousands of people were roaring with cheers.  
"YOU READY FOR THIS?" Cleo said on the microphone. Loud applause ensued.  
"Okay guys," Dustin said. "We gotta get our heads in the game."  
The band members started to introduce themselves.  
"I'm Cleo Farley and I am the lead singer and bassist."  
"I'm Dustin LaRocque and I'm the lead guitarist."  
"My name's Tanner Farley and I'm a rhythm guitarist and Cleo's older brother." Tanner was shirtless.  
"I'm Clifford Howard and I'm a guitarist."  
"I'm T-Bone Reynolds and I'm the drummer."  
"Machiavelli Fabrizio Migliori is the name. I'm the main keyboardist."  
"I'm Mimi Naskiewicz and I play guitar."  
"I'm Siobhan Hornseth and I play keyboards."  
"Our sound guy is Wayne Golden!" Cleo said. Wayne waved at the crowd from the side.  
"And our part-time roadie is none other than Incubus Spindle's lead guitarist, Peg Staunton!"  
Peg did the rock n' roll sign at the band.  
"Ladies and gentlemen, guys and girls," Cleo announced on the microphone. "We are FROST MOONLIGHT!" A banner marked "Frost Moonlight" hung down over the stage, and the audience loudly applauded like you wouldn't believe. The first song they did was "Hold Tight For The Ride." It was a fast heavy metal-type song. As soon as Dustin began playing the main riff with the flanger on, the colored spotlights flooded the stage. T-Bone did a crazy drum solo for the rest of the band to enter. The audience banged their heads and jumped. The first verse came up, and Cleo started to sing in her unique falsetto:

_I'm speeding down the highway and I can't get enough,  
You always trick me into all kinds of bad stuff.  
Stop me if you've really heard this one  
Because I wanna get home before the day is done._

The pre-chorus included some of Dustin's guitar fills. During the chorus, Dustin and Cleo harmonized. It went back to the main riff as they sang:

_Hold tight for the ride._

The people attending the concert were still dancing like crazy throughout the second verse, the next pre-chorus, and the chorus. The big moment of the song came when Dustin played his dazzling Van Halen-esque guitar solo, with extensive tapping and use of the tremolo bar. At the end of the solo, he did the Satch Scream and a laser effect. The chorus came again, and this time, the title of the song was sung five times, the fifth time being sung by Cleo alone. The music had stopped, and Cleo sustained the word "ride" in her soaring falsetto. They ended strong by building the noise, and Cleo, Dustin, Tanner, Clifford, and Mimi jumped simultaneously on the last note.  
"Thank you very much!" Cleo said on the mic.  
The band did covers of "Message Of Love" by the Pretenders, "Higher Ground" by the Red Hot Chili Peppers (in which Cleo played the slap part successfully), "Subdivisions" by Rush, "Is There Something I Should Say" by Duran Duran, "Don't Look Back" by Boston, "It's A Mistake" by Men At Work, and "Frankenstein" by Edgar Winter (in which Dustin played the synth sounds on his guitar).

The next song they did was sung by Dustin because the name of the song was "Cleo." He actually wrote the song for Cleo. It was an upbeat song with cool guitar, bass, and synthesizer parts, and it was one of the band's favorites. The first verse came up.

_Whatcha doin', lookin' all crazy?  
Let's go skinny dipping and make some love.  
We're only sixteen but it doesn't matter,  
So wag your tail and I'll kiss you on the lips!_

_Cleeeeeeeeeeeeo,  
You're the sexiest girl in the world,  
Cleeeeeeeeeeeeo,  
I wanna love you from your head to your feet!_

_I can see you sunbathing on the beach  
Or driving your black hot hatch.  
I'm twistin' and twirlin' every time I'm with you,  
And a human and a poodle girl are very cute together!_

_Cleeeeeeeeeeeeo,  
You're the sexiest girl in the world,  
Cleeeeeeeeeeeeo,  
I wanna love you from your head to your feet!_

The guitar solo was very 80's themed as well, and Cleo did some slap bass fills during the solo. After that was a breakdown, and then the chorus came up again and again, and twice more until the ending. Mac played a solo on the synthesizer and slid his right hand to its highest note on the last note of the song. The audience roared yet again.

"Ghost Of Madness" was a Seattle grunge style song, "Good Old High School" was a hard rock song with a moderately fast tempo, and "False Friends" was an 80's hair metal style song. This time, Mac sung backup vocals with his best voice, and he didn't sneeze one bit.

The big moment came when Frost Moonlight played their final song of the concert, "Tale Of A Lost Dreamer." It was an epic neo-progressive rock song and their longest one at ten minutes and forty-six seconds. It had only two verses, no chorus, slow and fast parts with unusual time signatures, key changes, and unusual chords, but it had a ton of lyrics. People got out their lighters and swayed them slowly in the air. This song was sung by Cleo. It went something like this:

_Shadows of dust surround me at all sides in this lonely field of dreams  
As I walk down the lost highway, all devoid of other traces of life.  
My emotions are strong, like red on white,  
Nostalgia and childhood dreams come to warm me throughout this time, oh yeah!_

The next part was Mac's keyboard solo, which was heard over the sweeping, jangly guitars. The second verse came up, with the epic lyrics like always. Then there came a slow guitar solo by Dustin and a piano part by Siobhan, followed by a fast bass solo in 5/8 time. The ride cymbal came in with the 5/8 beats, then the flangers were equipped on the guitars. Dustin and Tanner created a spaceship effect by scraping their fingers up and down the strings. They came in with the other guitars, playing the same notes as the bass. Cleo sung again when it changed to 7/4 time.

_No, this is not the first time this has happened,  
It's all melancholic but it'll fade away,  
I want you to tell me so,  
I want you to tell me soooooooooooooooooooo, YEAH!_

Another guitar solo came up, and Cleo's punchy bass playing accompanied it. T-Bone then did a drum solo, and the song changed to 4/4 time. Mac played chords on his synthesizer, making it one of the beautiful parts of the song. It changed to 6/8 time, and this part featured an A major chord and an A/B chord. Cleo started to sing.

_Ohhhhhhhhhhhh, the sky's the limit,  
And tumbleweeds roll along the desolate road,  
I'm drifting through space and tiiiiiiiiime!_

There were augmented, diminished fifth, ninth suspended fourth, half diminished, and major seventh chords. An F major seventh chord was rolled on the guitars. Then the last part of the song (which was in the key of C) came up.

_This is home, this is a family,  
Euphoria has come and I will never die young,  
Well we hope you enjoyed this concert, and it's time to say goodbye,  
But hopefully we'll come back after a period of time passes by._

There was Dustin's last guitar solo, and it sounded like a whole orchestra was playing. The last set of lyrics went something like this:

_People of Iron City, we love you so much,  
Oh, yeah, we'll come back soon, but now we're washed away,  
Ooooooooooooooh!_

The band played their last chord, which was a C major. The audience applauded loudly and stood up. Signs saying, "We Love You Frost Moonlight!" were held up.  
"Thanks for watching us play!" Cleo said on the microphone. "Have an awesome weekend!"  
The gang went backstage and put their instruments away. When they walked out of the stadium, they signed autographs.  
"You know that last song you guys played?" Peg said. "It touched me like an angel."  
"That's a good way to put it," Clifford chuckled.  
"We still haven't ridden all the rides," Cleo said. "Let's go!"

The fair looked even more beautiful during the sunset and under the night sky. The gang had ridden all 200 rides and had gone through all 15 funhouses. They all had a wonderful dinner, whether it was barbecue, hot dogs, roasted corn on a stick, burgers, Chinese food, London broil, souvlaki, gyros, you name it.  
"I need to wake up my sweet tooth," Cleo said after dinner. "How about you?"  
"Woo-hoo!" they all cheered.  
They had eaten kettle korn, cotton candy, funnel cakes, baklava, elephant ears, roasted peanuts, fried Oreos, soft-serve ice cream, Italian ices, Dippin Dots, and much more. Dustin and Cleo found a dirt road that lead to a huge field with a hill.

They walked down the trail and went up the hill. Dustin started their conversation.  
"You have truly lit up my life, Cleo."  
"Thanks," Cleo said.  
"You're a really cute, sexy, and fluffy girl, aren't you?"  
"You got it," Cleo said, laughing. "Come here, my handsome rockstar!"  
Dustin and Cleo kissed and kissed. Dustin felt the watermelon candy taste from Cleo's lips. They kept on kissing underneath the full moon. Its pockmarked face smiled at them.

**Epilogue**

_A few years later, Dustin and Cleo had two sons, Robert and Clayton, and a daughter, Michelle. They lived happily ever after._

**The End**


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